Business and Industry

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Located in the golden foothills of Central California in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, Tuolumne County is a beautiful place to live and work with amenities to match almost anyone’s palate. Tuolumne County consists of small towns, historic gold mining settlements, scenic vistas, pristine emigrant wilderness, vast national forests and the world renowned Yosemite National Park.

Its wide open spaces, gorgeous views and incredible range of recreational opportunities such as skiing, snowboarding, boating, canoeing, hiking, fishing and strolling through historic destinations – have made it seem like a dream to many California residents. Tuolumne County is that perfect community where you can work where you play. If you are one of those who put in a hard day’s work but value access to healthy, active lifestyles then you have found your place.

The Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority (TCEDA) is currently attracting new manufacturers and technology firms to Tuolumne County, “where the outdoors meets your front door,” explained Larry Cope, CEO of TCEDA.

“Bringing your business to Tuolumne County can be very cost-effective due to the lower cost of living as compared to the larger, more coastal cities. In fact, many of the companies we attract have been priced out of the Los Angeles and Bay Areas. Locating in our smaller, mountain communities also allows employees to cut back on commuting times and spend more time on leisure and recreational pursuits with family and friends,” Cope said.

“For many years Bay Area retirees have flocked to Tuolumne County and continue to do so because they, too, want to enjoy its scenic beauty and wide range of activities,” he added.

Nearly eighty percent of the land is owned by federal government agencies in the form of National Parks and forests but we still have plenty of land for your business. According to Cope, the largest (non-governmental) industries are tourism, healthcare services, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and business services.

Many of the large employers take advantage of and make use of the area’s natural resources like its scenic beauty, minerals, grazing lands and forests. Those include resorts like Evergreen Lodge, the new Rush Creek Lodge and Black Oak Casino Resort. Forest and mining operations include Blue Mountain Minerals, Sierra Pacific Industries, American Wood Fibers and Pacific UltraPower. They also have numerous farms and ranches throughout the county with a strong “farm to table” connection with hotels, resorts and restaurants.

Other large employers cater to the needs of local and regional residents like the Sonora Regional Medical Center.

Still others develop and produce products for the entire world. Some of these are Sandvik Thermal Process, MMI Sonora, Kinematic Automation, Front Porch, UV Skinz, Micro-Tronics, KleenSlate and the Armstrong-Clark Company.

“Tuolumne County has a long history of attracting companies whose owners are individuals that want to be able to enjoy the outdoors and share that enjoyment with their employees. They want to be able to literally keep their backpack next to their desk and not have to deal with a long commute,” Cope explained.

For more information about locating a business in Tuolumne County, call (209) 989-4058 or visit www.tceda.net.